How long do you give a company for a bid?

[AMonger]

I've always said 20 minutes. I've heard other drivers say they consider themselves under bid for 20 minutes. But today, one dispatcher says she has to enter a bid within 40 seconds, something my other companies neither say nor do, and that she always knows within 2 minutes. Another company told me today to give a bid 30 minutes, which sounds a little excessive, but it sure ain't 2 minutes. I know I've gotten callbacks long after that, even from that company, after the shipper or broker gets several bids in and compares prices.

 

[davekc]

I've always said 20 minutes. I've heard other drivers say they consider themselves under bid for 20 minutes. But today, one dispatcher says she has to enter a bid within 40 seconds, something my other companies neither say nor do, and that she always knows within 2 minutes. Another company told me today to give a bid 30 minutes, which sounds a little excessive, but it sure ain't 2 minutes. I know I've gotten callbacks long after that, even from that company, after the shipper or broker gets several bids in and compares prices.

20 minutes is usually enough, but have had a few that took a half hour but that isn't the norm.

 

[highway star]

While rare, it's been as long as an hour to hear we got one.

 

[BobWolf]

twenty min to half hour max

 

[ATeam]

We sometimes receive offers from agents who already have the loads. Other times agents call wanting to know our price. Time periods vary. Some want to know instantly and will bid even while we are on the phone with them. Others take longer depending on the customer they are dealing with.

We usually ask the agent for a time. "How long would you like us to wait before making ourselves available to other agents?" Ten to fifteen minutes is the usual answer and they will often call sooner than that to let us know one way or another.

Sometimes they will say something like their customer just went to lunch and will be calling the agent back in an hour. In such cases, the agent will usually tell us it is OK to consider and act on other offers.

There are some agents who do not call back at all if the load is not won. That is why we now ask the "how long" question.

 

[AMonger]

While rare, it's been as long as an hour to hear we got one.

Yes, I've had some long waits, too, including one that was a few hours. Butwhat I mean is, how long do you consider yourself under bid and telling other companies you're unavailable for their bid?

 

[BobWolf]

I stay on the load board, and for hire I never make myself un available untill the load is on the truck. I also get a contract and rate agreement with canceled or tono rate signed by the borker, shipper, agent.

 

[PreacherRich]

Yes, I've had some long waits, too, including one that was a few hours. Butwhat I mean is, how long do you consider yourself under bid and telling other companies you're unavailable for their bid?

My standard is 20 minutes. I am under bid right now, my dispatcher called after 15 minutes and said it looks like a go but the broker wants another 15 minutes. If it is going to be more than 20 minutes they need to call.

 

[Opel2010]

Another company told me today to give a bid 30 minutes, which sounds a little excessive,

Sometimes it takes even longer than 30 mins., if the p/u is for the next day...

 

[AMonger]

Sometimes it takes even longer than 30 mins., if the p/u is for the next day...

I remember being in the office on a weekend and the dispatcher took a call awarding them a run way out west, AZ, iirc. The dispatcher said, "I bid on that yesterday!" The driver had already left.

Yeah, when it's the next day for a pickup, they have a long time to accept bids and find the lowest rate.

 

[AMonger]

I stay on the load board, and for hire I never make myself un available untill the load is on the truck. I also get a contract and rate agreement with canceled or tono rate signed by the borker, shipper, agent.

You have your own authority? Because otherwise, if you accept load A and are on your way to pick it up and you get offered load B, you'd pretty much have to tell them you're occupied.